Screams echoed throughout the arena.

  Mages and knights—trained in the arcane arts and battle tactics—stood frozen in terror.

  They had studied demons in textbooks. They had memorized their weaknesses, their strengths, their classifications.

  But none of them had ever seen one in real life.

  Because for the past hundred years, demons had been nothing more than a historical threat.

  Something of the past.

  Something the world had forgotten.

  Until now.

  The barriers around the arena flared, cast by the academy’s top mages and instructors as they rushed to contain the chaos.

  Explosions erupted as professors and students—those with quick reflexes and nerves of steel—fought back.

  Flames roared, lightning crackled, ice spears rained from the sky.

  The strongest students and professors of each academy gathered together, unleashing their best spells, their mana flaring like beacons in the darkened sky.

  And yet—

  For every demon they cut down, more poured in.

  The ground trembled as a monstrous beast—a six-legged demon covered in molten armor—crashed through the audience stands, devouring an unfortunate mage whole.

  The scent of blood filled the air.

  The sickening sound of flesh being torn apart sent shivers down the spines of those too weak to fight.

  It was a battlefield.

  A true nightmare.

  ****

  Athena stood calmly amidst the destruction.

  Her golden eyes scanned the battlefield, her mind calculating the best course of action.

  Then—

  A demon appeared before her.

  Its grotesque form dripped with malice, its jagged fangs grinning as it lunged—

  And in an instant—

  CRUNCH!

  The space twisted as the demon collapsed inward, its entire body compressed into a perfectly round sphere the size of a marble.

  With a flick of her wrist, Athena dismissed it, sending the crushed remains scattering into dust.

  Silence.

  Those who saw it stared in shock.

  They knew Athena was strong, but to see it first hand would leave most in shock by her display of power.

  Space Magic.

  A magic affinity so rare that only one person per century was ever born with the ability to wield it.

  And Athena Syr Olympia—First Princess of the Olympia Empire—was that one person.

  She turned her gaze to Marcus, her expression calm.

  "Are you planning to intervene?" she asked.

  Marcus didn’t answer.

  His sharp crimson eyes remained fixed on the battlefield.

  More specifically—

  On Leon Brave.

  ****

  "You piece of garbage!" Gerald growled as he swiped his claws at him.

  Leon gritted his teeth as he narrowly dodged a massive clawed swipe from Gerald’s demonic form.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  The once-arrogant prodigy was now a hulking monstrosity, his muscular body pulsating with crimson veins, his horned skull-like face twisted in a bloodthirsty grin.

  "Think you can escape!? I am Gerald! Descendant of a Duke of Hell!"

  His speed was overwhelming, despite his massive size.

  "Tch! This isn’t normal!" Leon muttered as he barely evaded another strike.

  He could tell—this wasn’t just an ordinary demon.

  Gerald was evolving, adapting to battle in real-time.

  His intelligence remained intact, but his instincts had become more primal, more predatory.

  And worst of all—his magic was growing stronger.

  The arena shook violently as Gerald slammed his massive fists into the ground, sending waves of gravitational force surging outward.

  Leon barely had time to react before the air thickened, his movements slowing as the crushing weight pushed him down.

  'Gravity magic combined with demonic strength?'

  Leon ground his teeth as he forced mana through his body.

  "Reinforcement Magic – Maximum Output!"

  A golden aura exploded around him.

  The weight lifted slightly, giving him just enough room to move.

  But Gerald wasn’t done.

  The demon lunged, his claws aiming straight for Leon’s heart.

  And at that moment—

  From the stands, Marcus clenched his fist.

  The last remnants of the original Marcus Dimitri inside him screamed for blood.

  He wanted to see how Leon was crushed by the demon.

  He wanted to see how he was erased from existence.

  And yet—

  He said nothing. He did nothing.

  He simply watched.

  Because he needed to know. He needed to see...

  If Leon Brave truly was the hero of this world. If he truly was worthy of standing at the top. If he truly was...

  The protagonist.

  Reading him on novels and seeing it firsr hand is different after all. The novel always beautify the actions of the protagonist.

  But now, in this world, where the story is real, would Leon Brave still be the kind, selfless, and heroic idiot who never gives up?

  "Haa~, haa~,"

  Leon panted heavily, sweat dripping down his face.

  His arms ached, his legs burned, and his mana reserves were running dangerously low.

  But Gerald—no, the demon he had become—was still going strong.

  The battlefield around them was in ruins. The once-glorious Grand Akashic Arena was now nothing more than crumbling debris, soaked in blood and fire.

  Yet Leon refused to fall.

  Gerald’s red eyes glowed ominously, his demonic grin widening.

  "Tired already, trash?" The demon’s voice rumbled, layered with something inhuman. "Give up. I am a descendant of one of the Seven Dukes of Hell that serves his majesty the Demon King, you cannot beat me."

  Leon didn’t answer.

  He simply tightened his grip on his sword.

  Gerald smirked at the defiance. He always enjoyed crushing the hopes of people.

  A second later—

  Gerald moved.

  The ground shattered beneath his monstrous frame as he lunged, his claws tearing through the air like a falling meteor.

  Leon barely had time to react.

  His body screamed as he dodged, rolling to the side just in time to see Gerald’s claws gouge deep trenches into the stone beneath them.

  'I can't keep up…'

  Leon gritted his teeth.

  Reinforcement Magic—his only strength, his only weapon—was no longer enough.

  Gerald’s gravity magic had evolved, his speed had increased, his strength had doubled.

  Every time Leon dodged, every time he parried, he could feel the gap between them widening.

  And if this continued—

  He was going to lose.

  For the first time since the battle started—doubt crept into his mind.

  Was this it?

  Was this where his story ended?

  'No.'

  'No, I refuse.'

  Leon’s breath steadied.

  His heartbeat pounded in his ears.

  Then—

  He felt it.

  A strange, untapped power lurking beneath the surface, hidden deep within his very being.

  A power that had awakened only once before—

  During his fight against Marcus.

  A power that had turned the tides in an instant.

  Leon gritted his teeth as he let go of all hesitation.

  He poured everything into Reinforcement Magic—

  Not to strengthen his body—

  But to surpass it.

  "Reinforcement Magic: Limit Break!"

  A dark golden aura erupted from Leon’s body. It wasn’t like normal Reinforcement Magic. It was purer. Denser.

  It didn’t just push his body to its natural peak—It shattered that peak entirely.

  With a blink of an eye, Leon vanished.

  Gerald’s demonic eyes widened, and before he could react, a sword flash tore through the air.

  SLASH!

  A deep gash appeared across Gerald’s chest.

  For the first time since his transformation...

  The demon staggered.

  "What…?" Gerald gasped, his claws reaching for the wound, his red eyes filled with disbelief.

  Leon exhaled, steam rising from his skin.

  His entire body burned, his muscles screamed in agony.

  But he didn’t stop.

  Because this was his answer.

  Not just brute force.

  Not just raw talent.

  But a power that allowed him to defy limits.

  A power that turned the impossible into reality.

  "This is my strength!"

  Leon charged forward, his sword glowing with power.

  Gerald roared and swung his clawed hand, trying to swat him away—

  But Leon was faster.

  The next moment—

  Leon’s blade pierced through Gerald’s chest, right through his corrupted heart.

  Gerald’s eyes widened in shock.

  "No…" The demon choked, blood spilling from his lips.

  Then, the demon knelt on the ground, before falling down on his back.

  Silence fell over the battlefield.

  Before a deafening cheer erupted from the stands.

  The remaining demons who saw their leader lose began to lose morale and scrambled away, which immediately made the professors to chase after them.

  One by one, they fell, overwhelmed by the combined might of the academy’s forces.

  Some tried to flee, vanishing back into the crimson rift in the sky.

  But the professors—with their years of experience—cut them down before they could escape.

  The invasion had failed.

  The demons had lost.

  And the Four Academy Tournament—once a simple contest of skill, had become the site of the first demonic incursion in over a century.

  From the stands, Marcus watched everything.

  His golden eyes narrowed as he stared at Leon Brave, who stood victorious on the battlefield.

  "Limit Break…" he muttered.

  It was that magic.

  The very same technique that had caught him off guard during their fight in the original timeline.

  The magic that allowed Leon to surpass his limits, no matter how impossible the situation seemed.

  Marcus exhaled slowly, loosening his clenched fists.

  He now truly understood why Leon Brave was the protagonist of this world.

  "Indeed. You are still the same Leon that I know in the novels."

  Knowing this, Marcus can rest easy and leave the world to his hand while he'd go with his original plan and explore the world once he graduates.